Spirit
by merryfortune
Summary: Takeru doesn't feel as indomitable as Flame seems to think that he is.


**Spirit**

After beating Ryu and his gang, Takeru was quick to leave. He wanted out of the situation. He was proud of himself, for now anyway. As soon as he fled and got back to the safety of his and his grandparents' house, the adrenaline began to run out and he soon found himself facing down the consequences of his actions.

Takeru collapsed in his room. His grandmother was outside. She wanted to know what was going on. His grandfather was nowhere to be seen; likely drinking green tea, thinking this is how youthful boys ought to be. But, his grandmother had the more sympathetic streak. She knew something was wrong. Her baby boy wouldn't just storm off as he had; especially not after receiving a message from a classmate and with a Duel Disk in hand.

She would have been right but there was a factor she didn't know about. A factor that, for now, Takeru didn't want her to know about. That factor was called Flame.

Takeru took a heaping breath of air, even though he was face down in his linen. With all his strength, he yelled: "Nan, please leave me alone!"

He didn't hear a response. He didn't think he got one except the one he wanted which was for the outside of his room to be cavated. Takeru took another breath and he became increasingly aware of the feeling of the strap on his wrist. It wasn't the same feeling as having a watch's band on him. It was something else. Something completely different and something very, very awful.

Takeru drew back with heavy brows. He glared at the device; illuminated with Flame's patterns. So, hastily, Takeru clawed at the strap. Flame mumbled some responses but Takeru's heart was beating his ears. He couldn't hear a thing except for his own fear. After more struggle than necessary, Takeru was eventually successful in his goal which was the removal of his Duel Disk.

Then, he straightened his back and glued his eyes on a spot on the floor. He arched his arm and flexed his muscles. Flame immediately realised what was about to happen.

"No! Stop, Takeru!" Flame yelled.

Takeru's fingers dug into the device's side. His will faltered. Thus, so did his body. He slumped. He dropped the Duel Disk rather than hurtling it into the ground. Flame sighed in relief. The Disk rocked as Flame manifested his body; his feet beneath the surface and his ankles in a glowing shadow of crimson.

"Are… you okay?" Flame asked.

Takeru sighed. "No, Flame. I'm not." he spat.

"Do you… want to talk about it?" Flame asked, though far more awkwardly this time.

Takeru's face simpered. His gaze fell to his lap and his brows knitted together. He chewed his lip.

"If you don't want to talk about it, it's fine… It – It's a lot to process, I understand." Flame mumbled.

Takeru sighed. "I-I'm not as domin-indomiat-indomintable, ugh, in-dom-it-able as I seem…" he said, tripping over his own words with tears welling up in his eyes.

He curled up. His hands clutched at his head as he pulled his knees towards his chin. Flame made gestures, like he wanted to stop Takeru was unable to do. Not only because of the physical distance between them, but the emotional one too. So, he gave up.

"I-I'm terrified." Takeru said. "I – I was just acting cool."

"Takeru, what you did was truly brave." Flame assured him. "Take heart, partner. You did great. You beat not only that duellist, but part of your fear as well."

"I just… I just don't see it. Or feel it." Takeru said.

"In due time, you will." Flame said.

"I hope so…" Takeru said and he began to come out of the barrier that he had constructed using his body.

Flame looked up at Takeru. There was a faint glimmer of hope in his grey eyes. It warmed his programming, to be honest. Takeru took a breath.

"I want to get stronger. I want to overcome my past… Like Pop says I should. It's just. I'm scared." Takeru said.

"But I'm proud of you, Takeru. Anyone would be proud of you. That duel is the first of many to come-" Flame said, but was interrupted by a groan from Takeru, "and you will, I have utter faith, overcome the next challenges."

Takeru whipped his head towards Flame. "How do you know that? How do you know that I won't just clam up next time? The only reason I was able to pull off tonight was adrenaline. I – I had to save… Kiku." His eyes widened upon the mention of the girl. He then groaned and hit his head. "I – I should ring Kiku later. Tell her I'm alright and we won't ever be bothered by those jerks again."

Flame looked up at Takeru. "I advise you do that when you are, perhaps, more composed."

Takeru blinked and the tears that he didn't even realise had been lining up underneath his eyes burst. He bawled. He hadn't even been realising that he had been holding back such powerful sobs. Flame took a breath, but he didn't want to chastise or admonish Takeru. Instead, he did his best to comfort Takeru; reaching over, past the barrier from before, and stroking his arm.

When Takeru ran out of blubber, his eyes were very red, and his nose was very snotty. But he looked more contented than before. He must have purged some emotions and chemicals from his system for his overall benefit. That pleased Flame. Takeru wiped his nose with his arm. That did not please Flame as much but he wouldn't say anything about that right now.

"I feel better." Takeru said. "Only marginally, though."

"And that's the way it should be." Flame said.

"Huh?" Takeru mumbled.

"Reincarnation is over many, many lifetimes. If you want to change, you have to do it one step at a time. Then, you grow big and strong. That is how you become indomitable." Flame said.

"To become indomitable…" Takeru mumbled and his eyes glittered; his hands turned to fists and he pumped them through the air. "Alright Flame, let's do it! To become indomitable! To reincarnate! To strive towards the future!"

"That's the way, Takeru!" Flame yelled.

"Yeah! Let's do it! Let's duel some more!" Takeru yelled and then, it seemed, he had been caught in the moment as there was a brief look of fear through his face; as though he had just realised what he had committed to and how that clashed against prior habit.

However, this time, Takeru toughed it out. He took a breath and repeated his goal to himself.

"To become indomitable."

He wasn't repressing it. He was simply channelling the fear that had caused his heart to grow closed yet unruly into something else. He was reincarnating it into a different product. Flame couldn't have been prouder.

Takeru took another breath. "Alright, I'm calm. I'm composed. Let's call Kiku. Tell her I'm alright. Better than ever, even."

"Sounds like a plan." Flame agreed with a nod.

Takeru smiled. He even laughed. "I don't know what it is about you Flame, but you bring out the best in me, I think. A sort of kinship, maybe?"

"I was modelled on your duelling…" Flame confessed quietly. "The Ignises were created from the data created by the children in the Lost Incident…"

Takeru shook his head. He kept his eyes open because he knew, if he closed them, all he would see would be reminders of those six months; particularly the more traumatic ones. He took a breath and held his own hand steady. He could feel goose bumps underneath his digits.

"I don't think that's it." he said.

"You don't?" Flame replied. He sounded a mite puzzled by that statement.

Flame looked up at Takeru, confused. The cartoony way he was animated and, therefore, expressed himself was very amusing to Takeru who beamed back at it.

"I think our relationship goes beyond that and is, perhaps, irrelevant to that." he said. "I can't help but think we were fated to be together and to chase the future. I can feel it in my soul."

Flame's circuits lit up with elation. They glowed softly in a sweet marron colour. "You can feel it in your soul, huh? That's a good, strong statement. I like it."

"I'm glad." Takeru said and there was a hint of laughter to both his voice and his eyes. "I like you too."

His heart pounded suddenly but it was a good sort of pound. It made him feel tingly. It didn't make him feel afraid.

"Very well then. I like you too." Flame replied.

Takeru beamed. The corners of his eyes crinkled. There was something pure about his expression when it was endowed with such simple joy. And, in that moment, Flame decided that was the expression that he liked on his partner best.


End file.
